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Here's how local medical care providers are responding to COVID-19

Posted: Sun, Mar 22, 2020 12:18 PM

Both Winneshiek Medical Center and the Gundersen Decorah Clinic are changing their operations because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Effective Monday, Winneshiek Medical Center is deferring all elective care which can wait until later without putting a patient at risk.  This includes elective surgeries, procedures and office visits. Semi-urgent, urgent and  emergency care will continue in clinic and hospital settings.  If you have an appointment already scheduled, Winneshiek Medical Center staff will be contacting you to reschedule, if necessary. 

The medical center also has changed its visiting hours to from 8:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. for "well" visitors only, with "well" defined as those with no fever, no cough, no sore throat and no achiness.  There is a one-visitor limit.  A spouse/support person is the only allowed visitor in the OB department.

All visitors will be screened before entering the facility.  All visitors must clean their hands before entering a patient room, with hand sanitizer provided by WMC.  

Gundersen Health System says some appointments at Gundersen Decorah Clinic and other clinics in the system will be converted to a phone visit or canceled.   The changes will allow Gundersen to focus on preparing for COVID-19 and treating patients with the virus. 

Gundersen Decorah Clinic patients will receive a phone call to confirm a later phone visit or a cancellation. Patients do not need to call the clinic--the clinic will make the calls.  If an appointment is canceled, Gundersen will work with patients to reschedule it for a later date.    

In cases where a patient needs to be seen in person, the appointment will continue as scheduled. If you do not hear from your provider, plan to be at your appointment. Patients are reminded that only one support person may accompany them to appointments and are asked to drop off and pick up patients, rather than waiting inside the clinic.   

Gundersen Health System has launched an updated coronavirus disease 2019 website at www.gundersenhealth.org/covid19/